Alec Bentley

I found several statements in an article in today's New York Times of
interest in reflecting on the Floyd Landis saga.

Dr. Shalender Bhasin, a leading testosterone researcher at Boston University
Medical Center said that one way to know if the ratio found in the test was
NORMAL was to continue testing Floyd. If the ratio is NORMAL for Floyd, (as
he is now claiming) it will not change.

Dr. Timothy Foster, an endocrinologist and sports- medicine specialist at
the Boston Medical Center, said even the 6-1 ratio is within a range that
could be found naturally in MANY men. Dr. Shalender Bhasin agreed. "People
can have a high ratio without abuse" he said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency used to say a ratio of more than 6 to1 was
evidence of testosterone abuse. Now it is using a ratio of 4 to 1.

The New York Times article also reported that a carbon isotape ratio mass
spectrometry test can be performed to determine whether the high levels of
Testosterone and / or Epitestosterone are naturally occurring.

To me this asks a few questions.

1) If Landis has a naturally high Testosterone / Epitestosterone Ratio why
has it not shown up before?

2) Based on the above, as Landis was reportedly tested 6-times during this
years Tour de France did they compare each of the test results before
reporting he had failed the "A" test?

3) If Landis is correct in what he is now claiming it appears that there are
tests that could prove his position.

4) Why hasn't Landis gone immediately to an independent lap and had a new
independent test including a test to determine if the high levels of
Testosterone and / or Epitestosterone are naturally occurring?

The saga continues. Perhaps we will learn all during the Larry King
interview with Landis tonight.